10 Tips to Keep Your Home Warmer This Winter

When Connecticut winter settles in, temperatures drop quickly and your home’s heating system has to work overtime. The good news is that staying warm doesn’t have to mean turning the thermostat up and hoping for the best. With a few practical upgrades, many of which you can handle yourself, you can boost comfort, improve efficiency, and keep drafts at bay. Here are ten reliable ways to make your home warmer this winter.

1. Seal Up Drafts Around Doors and Windows

Even small gaps can let in a surprising amount of cold air. Check for drafts by running your hand along the edges of windows and exterior doors. If you feel air movement, use weatherstripping, caulk, or draft stoppers to seal the gaps. These fixes are simple, inexpensive, and often make an immediate difference.

2. Install Thermal Curtains or Insulated Shades

Your windows can lose up to 30% of your home’s heat, even if they’re newer. Thermal curtains or honeycomb cellular shades add an extra layer of insulation to help keep warm air in and cold air out. Close them at night and on cloudy days, then open them when the sun is shining to take advantage of natural heat.

3. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

It sounds counterintuitive, but ceiling fans can actually help warm a room. If your fan has a reverse switch, flip it to the clockwise setting for winter. This gently pushes warm air, which loves to hang out near the ceiling, back down where you actually need it.

4. Add Area Rugs to Hard Floors

Wood, tile, and laminate floors can feel icy and pull warmth from the room. Adding thick area rugs, especially in basements or rooms over unheated spaces, helps insulate the floor and make your home feel instantly cozier.

5. Check and Replace Weatherstripping on the Attic Hatch

The attic access door is one place homeowners forget to check, but it’s a notorious escape route for heat. Make sure the hatch closes tightly and that the weatherstripping hasn’t compressed or cracked. A tight seal here helps prevent heat from rushing straight into the attic.

6. Change Your Furnace Filter Regularly

A dirty furnace filter forces your heating system to work overtime, which can make your home feel less warm and your bills noticeably higher. Check your filter monthly and replace it as needed. It’s an easy DIY task that can improve airflow and efficiency right away.

7. Insulate Hot Water Pipes

Insulating the hot water pipes in your basement or utility area helps reduce heat loss as water moves through your home. Pipe insulation sleeves are inexpensive, easy to install, and can improve both water temperature and heating efficiency.

8. Add Door Draft Blocks in Older Homes

Connecticut is full of beautiful old homes but those charming original doors often come with less charming drafts. Door draft blockers (or even a rolled-up towel in a pinch) can help keep cold air from sneaking in under exterior doors. Bonus: they’re kid-friendly DIY projects.

9. Get Your Heating System Professionally Tuned

A yearly tune-up can help your furnace run more efficiently, identify issues before they become bigger (and more expensive) problems, and ensure your system is operating safely. Plus it will lengthen the lifespan of your system.

10. Consider Small, Strategic Upgrades

If your home still feels chilly, a few targeted improvements can help. Adding attic insulation, sealing ductwork, or upgrading older thermostats to programmable or smart models can make a big difference. These projects vary in difficulty - some homeowners feel comfortable tackling them, others prefer a professional - but in many cases, the energy savings can quickly outweigh the upfront cost.

Winter in Connecticut will always bring its share of cold snaps, but with a little preparation, your home can stay warm, comfortable, and energy-efficient all season long. Whether you’re sealing a drafty window yourself or calling in a pro for a furnace check, small steps can add up to big improvements. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Six Reasons Why Insulation Should Be On Your Home Improvement List

Unless you live in a brand new house, it’s more than likely that your home doesn’t have enough insulation. In fact, roughly three out of every four houses in our area are underinsulated and homeowners are paying the price in both energy bills and comfort. 

Back in the day, insulation requirements weren’t nearly as strict as they are today. To put that into perspective, many homes built in Connecticut as recently as the 60s have about as much insulation as what is now required in Florida where the weather is much warmer year-round. Because people either don’t know they don’t have enough insulation or can’t be bothered to check, many of us are living less comfortably than we should. So here are six big benefits to making this smart investment in your home. 

It will reduce your heating and cooling bills. 

Insulation provides resistance to heat flow both in and out of the house. It will keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer simply by making it less difficult for air to get in or out. You’ll see the difference in your gas and electricity bills instantly.

It will make your home more comfortable. 

A lot of people avoid rooms in their houses because they get too warm or cold. This is especially true in the second-floor bedrooms of a Cape Cod-style house. More insulation equates to better temperature regulation and a more comfortable environment all around.

It’s better for the planet.

Energy efficiency is so important as we all try to decrease the impact we have on the environment. People are looking for homes that do their job to reduce their carbon footprint and insulation ensures that less energy is needed to keep homes healthy and happy. 

It helps to increase your resale value. 

As more people are getting clued into how important insulation is for the health of a house, buyers are paying more for homes that waste less. If you’re thinking about selling in the next few years, this is one upgrade that will be worth the investment.

It will keep your home quieter. 

As more of us are working from home, noise has become a hot topic at family dinner tables. Insulation can significantly reduce how volume is carried throughout the home and can also help to cushion external noise from the street. 

It will make your home healthier.

Insulation, when coupled with ventilation, is a home’s best defense against moisture getting into the attic and walls. Once moisture enters a house, it can become mold if not dealt with properly. Mold in the home is a leading cause of asthma and allergies, especially in young children and the elderly. In addition to being harmful, it can also be expensive to remediate.

So there you have it, six reasons why insulation should be on your home improvement bucket list this fall. Have questions? Don’t be shy, message me on Facebook at facebook.com/odonnellbros. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visithttp://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Ways to Save on Skyrocketing Winter Energy Bills

Holiday lights, Christmas trees, and colder temperatures mean that December is usually one of the most expensive months in terms of utility bills. Last month, energy companies said that the average Connecticut electric bill would jump around $80 per month per household come January, so now is a great time to start thinking about ways to save. 

One resource that not enough people take advantage of is an audit by Energize Connecticut. For a fee, a home energy consultant will come to your home and conduct a full assessment, covering your furnace and water heater, air ducts, windows, doors, and more. Plus they can offer rebates for upgrades and repairs. To apply, visit the EnergizeCT website and choose your service provider. 

If you’re not interested in an assessment but would still like to winterize your home to save, here are the top five spots I always check for air leaks and heat loss. 

1. Windows. Believe it or not, hanging heavy fabric drapes can help you retain up to 25% of the heat in your home. This is especially true with large glass doors that aren’t being used in the winter months. Also, be sure to check for gaps. Wooden window frames get warped with age and can lead to serious air leakage. For cracks smaller than a quarter of an inch, a silicone caulk will plug up areas where heat is escaping. Also, if you feel air coming through your single panes and the glass rattles with the wind, beef them up with some shrink film. This product can be found at any home supply store and can be cut to size. 

2. Doors. We don’t often open the windows in the winter, but doors are a different story. They let lots of air escape, but they can’t be sealed completely because we need to use them. I always suggest inspecting your door sweep to ensure it’s not damaged and replacing it if the bristles have come loose. A door snake or seal can also come in handy, which can be purchased at any big box store or even made at home with an old pair of stockings and some rice, beans, newspaper, or another filling.

3. Attic. Those of you with an attic hatch are likely losing a ton of warm air through its frame. We all know that hot air rises, so close off that hatch with an insulated box that fits over the entryway. It's a great way to retain heat in the home and you’ll still have full access to the attic to get holiday decorations, luggage, and storage items.

4. Water Heater. Insulate your water heater’s tank and pipes with fiberglass. For the tank, fit a fiberglass blanket using foil tape, but be sure not to cover any valve or pipe openings. For the pipes, you can use fiberglass wrap or foam insulation. By adding a layer of insulation to your water heater, you’ll keep the warmth from escaping into the air and you’ll protect the machine from condensation in the summer months. 

5. Insulation. Most homes simply do not have enough insulation in the walls and attic, which is probably the number one contributor to sky-high energy bills. Insulation acts as a barrier against heat flow, helping to keep the warm air inside the house by slowing the flow and stopping the heat from getting outside. The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that with proper insulation, the average home in our area can save approximately 16 to 50 percent in total heating and cooling costs depending on the age and condition of the home. Plus it’s one of the highest-rated home improvements in terms of real estate resale value. 

Rising energy bills will be no joke this season. Take a few steps to winterproof your home and the impending increase won’t hit your wallet as hard in the new year. 

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.